Page 14 - EW Magazine 5-2 FINAL

14 extraordinary women Volume 5 I ssue 2

began writing songs from the overflow of his heart that made me feel so loved, cherished and celebrated. It was very beau-tiful when he sang One and Only on Mother’s Day… I knew right away it was meant for me.

JULIE: That is a wonderful song… the entire CD, Something About Us, is awesome! That project has been described as a musical love letter to Heidi. Michael, share with us what it meant for you to be able to write music—love songs—to your wife.

MICHAEL: It was amazing! I just knew in my heart that she was going to like it, but I was still a little nervous. I’ll never forget it… she was in my office, so I kneeled down with my guitar and played it for her. As I sang, I was pretty confident that she loved it, but when I finished and she asked me to play it again, I knew for sure. I was so thrilled because it was one of those husband and wife moments where we really connected. She completely got it… it was a beautiful! Something About Us is like Song of Solomon set to music… I believe Christians should be writing and living the most beautiful love songs ever.

HEIDI : Since we never really had that early honeymoon period, for us that was our time… when we finally got to that point in our lives where there was total trust and we could completely enjoy one another. God definitely blessed that time for us—I felt like we were walking on cloud nine for a few years. We were very caught up in the joy of each other and what we had accomplished in our relationship. It was truly a sweet time… and one we definitely needed.

JULIE: I know for all couples the reality of life, kids and busy schedules can put a damper on romance. That’s why I love the idea of your “Tour de Romance” for couples to build that sense of adventure back into their lives.

MICHAEL: It is a challenge to build romance in any marriage… and it still is for Heidi and me. It’s important to set aside time to go on dates and have time alone but, the reality is, even those times get interrupted on occasion, so it takes a lot of hard work and planning, especially when you have kids. Our “Tour de Romance” is something we created that would offer couples a night out alone to remi-nisce about those special times together over the years. It’s a wonderful date night for couples!

HEIDI : There are actually two, separate “Tour de Romances” packages—one is a concert with Michael and another one is an overnight platform where we also speak and interact more with individual couples. The beautiful music stirs up the love, the sweet memories of all those special times couples have shared together, and all the reasons they fell in love in the

first place, which is the essence of the entire event. We actu-ally enjoy having the longer time with couples because we can dig a little deeper. It is our goal to get husbands to commit to taking their wives on dates and investing more time with them on a regular basis.

JULIE: I do believe it is important, as couples, to remember our relationships are a journey and will have peaks and valleys along the way, but those mountaintops are what’s so wonderful about having a spouse—someone who will be by your side through the good times and bad and grow with you along the way.

I know it’s tough to handle things alone when your spouse has to travel a lot… Tim and I both have to do it more than we like. Sometimes I think it’s easier to be on the road than to be at home and have to deal with all the day-to-day issues, so we so thank you, Heidi, for allowing Michael to travel with us at Extraordinary Women. He is truly an inspira-tion to each and every one of us, and that is a reflection of you and your beautiful relationship with him and the Lord.

MICHAEL: Heidi really is a huge help to me… both at home and with my music—she even helps me when I can’t put into words what I have in my head and keeps my work focused on God. She reminds me that every song I write needs to be about Jesus Christ… that I never want to leave Him out of any song.

Thank you, Julie, for allowing me to be a part of the EW team and the opportunity to witness to thousands of women through the music God puts on my heart!

JULIE: Tim and I really appreciate you two taking time out of your busy schedules to talk with us today. It allows our readers to get to know you a little better and experience your love for Christ and one another. Your beautiful story and the enthusiasm you have for the Lord are very inspira-tional. Thank you, Heidi, for all you do—we know behind every wonderful man is a great woman. ]

Julie Clinton, M.Ad., MBA, is the President of Extraordinary Women and director and host of the Extraordinary Women DVD series for the American Association of Christian Counselors. Her passion is to help busy women navigate their days with grace and wisdom in the Holy Spirit.

Tim Clinton, Ed.D., LPC, LMFT, is President of AACC, Executive Director of the Center for Counseling and Family Studies/Professor of Counseling and Pastoral Care at Liberty University, and co-founder of Light Counseling, Inc., a clinical practice serving children, adolescents, and adults.